IN YOUR OPINION

Letters to the editor, Dec. 19, 2012

Published: Wednesday, December 19, 2012 at 6:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, December 18, 2012 at 8:50 p.m.

Dangerous games

The first thing you think about in such a tragedy such as what happened in Newtown is to ban those guns. You try to stop a bullet.

I feel that you should try to stop the thought that goes through the minds of the people who do these awful deeds. Right now there are tens of thousands of children between 6 and 16 who are playing games that have murder, shooting, bombing, stealing, sexual perversion and other anti-social themes. I am not a doctor, but I feel if they play them enough times there are children that become brainwashed that this is fun and a normal thing to do.

What do you do?

How about banning this awful trash? There are some great games about sports, educational themes and other fine themes that teach children how to grow up and become mature adults that will contribute fine things to this country. Granted, some television shows are not any better, but these games are played over and over by the children.

Richard Cooperman

Ocala

What’s the plan?

Following the horrible tragedy in Connecticut, I am wondering why we are not hearing from our school superintendent and principals on what they are going to do when school reopens in January. I know they are on holiday vacation and deserve their time off, but this is a unique situation, and hearing some concern, ideas and plans for better school security would be welcomed by all of us parents. Where are our school leaders?

I know they care and are concerned, but I need to hear that they are working on this diligently and not just waiting to deal with it in 2013. I expect changes from day one and I think all parents would agree with that.

Dave Tyler

Ocala

Taking children’s lives

What a tragedy this past Friday as a person clearly and seriously disturbed ended the lives of innocent children and adults. No one can justify or explain away the horror that has impacted many lives for the balance of time.

So much will be said in the coming days and weeks about the causes of this tragedy and what steps must be taken to prevent such an occurrence ever again. Much of the focus of the discussion will center around the need for more gun control as the solution to the problem.

However, the conversation must be expanded beyond the issue of gun control. The central issue here is that of the mental health of the individual that carried out this horrific attack. One might question why a mother would have weapons such as these available to a young man who perhaps had serious mental issues. It’s not the guns that are the issue, but rather the mental condition of the people that have access to the weapons.

But, in the broader sense, perhaps we as a nation have been conditioning our children to accept that life has little value when you consider that every day hundreds of innocent children are quietly and legally put to death. Yet there is no outcry, sadness or media coverage. True, bullets are not used to end the innocent lives of these children, but so-called surgical procedures, which are just as effective. It seems the message is clear to our young people — it’s okay to end the innocent life of a child through abortion but not bullets.

It’s unimaginable to me that we don’t see what we’re doing. Now, we’re talking about a moral issue.

John Christman

Ocala

Restoring hope

Each month dozens of volunteers graciously give their time to help supply food for 120-plus families in the forest area — from picking up thousands of pounds of food to bagging it and then dispersing it.

This Christmas, 130-plus families and 42-plus children will have Christmas dinner and toys and clothes under the tree because of these selfless people. I want to thank those who have made this possible in 2012.

This truly restores our sense of community to see people coming together to help those in need. Blessings to each one of you.

Maxine Dotson

Silver Springs

A budget plan

Will anybody out there really feel sorry for the fat cats, who earn in excess of a quarter-million dollars a year, if their tax rate might climb a few points? The Romneys, Koch brothers and others in our land continue to stash away their billions (including overseas to avoid taxes), paying a tax rate in some instances of 15 percent or less, while lamenting the president’s plan to up the rate for excessively high-earners to 39.7 percent, the top rate paid during the booming Clinton-era economy.

If those top executives in America’s corporate world would be satisfied with compensation of up to $250,000 — not exactly coolie wages, mind you — no one would be persecuted under the president’s plan to increase the tax rate for excessive incomes. And there would be a bundle of cash left to distribute to the workers in the businesses the overpaid executives lead — money the workers would spend, not save, to perk up the nation’s economy. Money, incidentally, that would be taxed as well!

Then our national leaders, in seeking to curb the rising U.S. debt, might concentrate on meaningful budget cuts (such as bloated military spending) rather than the so-called entitlements that would be so hurtful to many citizens.

<p><b>Dangerous games</b></p><p>The first thing you think about in such a tragedy such as what happened in Newtown is to ban those guns. You try to stop a bullet.</p><p>I feel that you should try to stop the thought that goes through the minds of the people who do these awful deeds. Right now there are tens of thousands of children between 6 and 16 who are playing games that have murder, shooting, bombing, stealing, sexual perversion and other anti-social themes. I am not a doctor, but I feel if they play them enough times there are children that become brainwashed that this is fun and a normal thing to do.</p><p>What do you do?</p><p>How about banning this awful trash? There are some great games about sports, educational themes and other fine themes that teach children how to grow up and become mature adults that will contribute fine things to this country. Granted, some television shows are not any better, but these games are played over and over by the children.</p><p><i>Richard Cooperman</p><p>Ocala</i></p><p> </p><p><b>What's the plan?</b></p><p>Following the horrible tragedy in Connecticut, I am wondering why we are not hearing from our school superintendent and principals on what they are going to do when school reopens in January. I know they are on holiday vacation and deserve their time off, but this is a unique situation, and hearing some concern, ideas and plans for better school security would be welcomed by all of us parents. Where are our school leaders?</p><p>I know they care and are concerned, but I need to hear that they are working on this diligently and not just waiting to deal with it in 2013. I expect changes from day one and I think all parents would agree with that.</p><p><i>Dave Tyler</p><p>Ocala</i></p><p> </p><p><b>Taking children's lives</b></p><p>What a tragedy this past Friday as a person clearly and seriously disturbed ended the lives of innocent children and adults. No one can justify or explain away the horror that has impacted many lives for the balance of time.</p><p>So much will be said in the coming days and weeks about the causes of this tragedy and what steps must be taken to prevent such an occurrence ever again. Much of the focus of the discussion will center around the need for more gun control as the solution to the problem.</p><p>However, the conversation must be expanded beyond the issue of gun control. The central issue here is that of the mental health of the individual that carried out this horrific attack. One might question why a mother would have weapons such as these available to a young man who perhaps had serious mental issues. It's not the guns that are the issue, but rather the mental condition of the people that have access to the weapons.</p><p>But, in the broader sense, perhaps we as a nation have been conditioning our children to accept that life has little value when you consider that every day hundreds of innocent children are quietly and legally put to death. Yet there is no outcry, sadness or media coverage. True, bullets are not used to end the innocent lives of these children, but so-called surgical procedures, which are just as effective. It seems the message is clear to our young people — it's okay to end the innocent life of a child through abortion but not bullets.</p><p>It's unimaginable to me that we don't see what we're doing. Now, we're talking about a moral issue.</p><p><i>John Christman</p><p>Ocala</i></p><p> </p><p><b>Restoring hope</b></p><p>Each month dozens of volunteers graciously give their time to help supply food for 120-plus families in the forest area — from picking up thousands of pounds of food to bagging it and then dispersing it.</p><p>This Christmas, 130-plus families and 42-plus children will have Christmas dinner and toys and clothes under the tree because of these selfless people. I want to thank those who have made this possible in 2012.</p><p>This truly restores our sense of community to see people coming together to help those in need. Blessings to each one of you.</p><p><i>Maxine Dotson</p><p>Silver Springs</i></p><p> </p><p><b>A budget plan</b></p><p>Will anybody out there really feel sorry for the fat cats, who earn in excess of a quarter-million dollars a year, if their tax rate might climb a few points? The Romneys, Koch brothers and others in our land continue to stash away their billions (including overseas to avoid taxes), paying a tax rate in some instances of 15 percent or less, while lamenting the president's plan to up the rate for excessively high-earners to 39.7 percent, the top rate paid during the booming Clinton-era economy.</p><p>If those top executives in America's corporate world would be satisfied with compensation of up to $250,000 — not exactly coolie wages, mind you — no one would be persecuted under the president's plan to increase the tax rate for excessive incomes. And there would be a bundle of cash left to distribute to the workers in the businesses the overpaid executives lead — money the workers would spend, not save, to perk up the nation's economy. Money, incidentally, that would be taxed as well!</p><p>Then our national leaders, in seeking to curb the rising U.S. debt, might concentrate on meaningful budget cuts (such as bloated military spending) rather than the so-called entitlements that would be so hurtful to many citizens.</p><p><i>Don Rosselet</p><p>Rainbow Springs</i></p>